Center for Constitutional Rights

Huge congratulations to Afrika Owes, former Legal and Advocacy Administrative Associate here at the Center for Constitutional Rights, for passing the bar exam — on the first try! Your journey is awe-inspiring and a testament to your tenacity. You're not just breaking barriers; you're shattering them. We're immensely proud of you!

📢 NEW: The latest episode of The Activist Files dives deep into the crucial case of Grants Pass v. Johnson, heard by the Supreme Court on April 22. https://lnkd.in/esxUugtk In episode 57, we explore Grants Pass v. Johnson, a case with immense implications for the homeless community. The case questions whether cities can punish people for sleeping outside, even when there are no shelter options available. The National Homelessness Law Center emphasizes that such ordinances may violate the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. This case is pivotal amid a national homelessness crisis exacerbated by a lack of affordable housing. More than forty LGBTQIA+ rights groups joined the Center for Constitutional Rights in arguing against criminalizing homelessness. LGBTQIA+ individuals are disproportionately affected by homelessness due to discrimination and bias. The laws in question aim to force unhoused individuals out of Grants Pass, a city without homeless shelters. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit intervened, blocking enforcement of these ordinances. Our guests, Eric Tars from the National Homelessness Law Center, sheds light on the case's significance and its potential impact on the rights and well-being of the unhoused population. Eric Tars, the Law Center’s Senior Policy Director, has been instrumental in advocating for policies that prioritize housing over punishment. He has been involved in precedent-setting cases like Martin v. Boise, advocating for the rights of the homeless population. Keep an eye out for the next episode of The Activist Files! https://lnkd.in/dzKEguH

After an epic 16 year legal struggle for the three Iraqi Abu Ghraib torture survivors we’ve had the privilege to represent to finally have their day in court, disappointingly, the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict and the judge declared a mistrial in our case against a Virginia-based company for its role in the torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of our clients endured at the infamous prison. Al Shimari v. CACI was filed in 2008 by Salah Al-Ejaili, a journalist, Suhail Al Shimari, a middle school principal, and Asa’ad Zuba’e, a fruit vendor, against a multi-billion dollar government contractor, CACI Premier Technology Inc., which was hired by the US to provide interrogation services at Abu Ghraib. Salah testified in-person in Alexandria, while Suhail and Asa’ad testified via video-link from Baghdad. “It is enough that we tried and didn’t remain silent. We might not have received justice yet in our just case today, but what is more important is that we made it to trial and spoke up so the world could hear from us directly. This will not be the final word; what happened in Abu Ghraib is engraved into our memories and will never be forgotten in history. Every just person stands with us. I wish to thank the legal team and everyone that helped us along the way: you gave a lot for this case and believed that justice is possible, which is a big thing.” – Salah Al-Ejaili The plaintiffs intend to pursue their right to a retrial. Learn more on our website: https://buff.ly/4b50QnE

📣 Big News! Jackson, MS residents finally have a seat at the table in crucial water negotiations. Thanks to motion to intervene by Mississippi Poor People’s Campaign & People’s Advocacy Institute, locals can now advocate for clean water access & justice. This victory marks a turning point in the fight against systemic neglect & anti-Black city planning. Read here: https://buff.ly/43OuXMY

We are hiring for two new positions! The Staff Attorney, Southern Regional Office will play a pivotal role in shaping our social justice litigation and advocacy presence in Jackson, Mississippi in alignment with our overall strategic priorities. The Staff Attorney will assist in developing radical legal interventions that exemplify our model of driving social change through strategic impact litigation, cutting-edge advocacy, and strategic communications. This position will serve as a key institutional representative for Southern Justice Rising and proactively develop relationships throughout the South. Deadline to apply is **Wednesday, April 3**! The Media Associate will provide support to the Communications Department and its director, managing the weekly e-newsletter, handling day-to-day administrative responsibilities, and contributing to podcasts, social media work, and other projects. Deadline to apply is **Monday, April 18**! Read the full job description on our website: ccrjustice.org/jobs

We are collecting personal stories to support the amicus brief in the historic case of City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, addressing the criminalization of homelessness and the rights of unhoused people across the country. We invite you to share your experiences as a queer, trans, nonbinary, or intersex individual who has been homeless in the past or is currently facing homelessness. Your stories will be instrumental in advocating for change and challenging the criminalization of homelessness. Our amicus brief will center the personal narratives of queer, trans, nonbinary, and intersex individuals, to shed a light on the impact of homelessness and advocate for safe, accessible housing for all, while uplifting the importance of LGBTQIA+ agency in choosing what living arrangement is safest – even if that choice is to stay on the street. Form here: https://lnkd.in/eJUM8piG Please note—Your privacy is our priority. All responses will be stored within the Center for Constitutional Rights’ internal files and used exclusively for the amicus brief in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson. We respect your confidentiality; your stories will be included in the brief anonymously (if you choose) but not otherwise shared. While we empathize with the challenges you may be facing, please be aware that this form is not adding you to a class action lawsuit and, unfortunately, we cannot resolve ongoing issues related to homelessness. Instead, your valuable input will contribute to a collective effort seeking justice and systemic change in the case going to the Supreme Court in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson.

The Center for Constitutional Rights’ Southern Regional Office and the Open Records Project have created a series of toolkits for activists, advocates, organizers, and community members in Southern states interested in obtaining public records from state government agencies or officials in four states: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana. In recent years, we have seen how open records requests can be extremely useful tools for local and national advocacy, the media, litigation, and organizing campaigns, such as the work we continue to do in support of activists in Louisiana. You can find each of the state toolkits, which contain a brief explainer on how to file requests, as well as an annotated sample request, at buff.ly/43euHqy!

The Center for Constitutional Rights has worked closely with generations of Southern freedom fighters and continue that historical work by partnering with Southern grassroots movements, human rights defenders, and community organizations fighting to transform material conditions, dismantle systems of oppression, and advance visions of collective liberation today. We stand in solidarity with the Poor People’s Campaign in Mississippi – the strategic hub of our Southern Justice Rising initiative – and across the nation, as thousands of low-wage workers mobilize to abolish poverty.

We are outraged that a climate of hate and bigotry has been not only allowed to thrive, but encouraged by the person who is responsible for education in the state of Oklahoma. Youth should feel support and encouragement at school, not bullying and harassment. We are proud today to join a coalition of 350+ organizations in our call for the removal of Oklahoma state superintendent of public instruction Ryan Walters & an investigation into the Oklahoma Department of Education following the death of 2STGNC+ teenager Nex Benedict. Read the letter and join our demands for action. https://buff.ly/3OYwLwI